A wet mucky day. I haven't done anything on the farm myself. The pigs are going
on Tuesday, now, instead of Sunday, so that is taking a little rearranging.

Pigs happily inside.

I've been making Christmas cards for our visitors in the Barn (one of the many
services we provide!). Richard rang from Plymouth needing to be picked up, just
as Mary was about to feed Christopher, so I went, and did some shopping on the
way back. Then Gabriel was going to play his trumpet with a group in Tavistock
this eveining, so I took him and his bicycle and picked up a take away curry
on the way home. A friend came round for supper. I've just spoken to James,
who's just getting up. He'll be catching a plane in 15 hours from now. Not long
now.

Gabriel has just got back, cycling through the back lanes in the rain. He got
a puncture so it took him a bit longer.

I haven't got much to say for myself so I'm pasting something from the 25th
November from Mary Crichley's Warmwell site.
She is a very impressive lady.

It is with sinking heart we read "MPs set to get four-day week with shorter
hours" The
Sunday Times report dare not say so overtly but power continues to slip
out of the hands of elected politicians and into those of big business and financial
interest. "Modernism" is indeed a charade - here and in proposed "reform" of
the Lords and the Law. The monarchy too will be swept away with the excuse that
it is outmoded, and leave no checks and balances against the faceless ones.
The Cabinet, with the exception of Gordon Brown, must surely be uneasily aware
that they have been chosen for reasons other than for statesmanlike qualities.
They are most certainly not there to think or govern. No lean and hungry looks
there. Similarly, along with the Terrorism bill, the Animal Health bill is a
pretence, using manufactured alarm about scrapie
and BSE to confer on a government department monstrous powers over people's
lives and property; a government department that itself appears to be controlled
by forces that are vindictive, malevolent and self righteous. The population
is kept docile by its dependence on consumerism. Pot-induced smiling quiescence
is about to be encouraged since it is easier to handle than lager loutism. The
only public service broadcasting is in tiny pockets just as the only independent
newspaper reporting is. We see that we are living in a Brave New (Labour ) World
far from the principles of that Socialism we always applauded. We are surely
not the only ones to recognise this?